Congress candidate Dhiraj Deshmukh, son of former Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, is set to win the Latur Rural constituency by a margin of more than one lakh votes. His closest rival? NOTA.

Huffpost India’s Akshay Deshmane breaks down the result for Latur Rural here.

5.36 pm: Shiv Sena wants to remind BJP of the 50:50 formula

Addressing a press conference, Uddhav Thackeray said, “It is time to remind the BJP about the formula arrived at when BJP chief Amit Shah visited my home....we had decided on fifty-fifty formula for the alliance.”

“We agreed to contest fewer seats (than the BJP), but I cannot accommodate the BJP every time. I should allow my party to grow,” he added, according to PTI.

Dushyant Chautala,JJP: Counting of slips from a VVPAT is underway. As soon as I get certificate,I'll discuss with everyone,hold meeting with MLAs tomorrow&decide future course of action.Too early to say anything.I believe state wants change&JJP will bring it. #HaryanaAssemblyPollpic.twitter.com/bavFtOhLJL

Wrestler Babita Phogat who contested from Dadri on a BJP ticket has lost against independent candidate Sombir.

She stood at third place 24,502 winning votes against Sombir’s 43,589.

1:43 pm: People Who Left Us Weren’t Accepted, Pawar’s Dig At NCP Defectors

NCP leader Sharad Pawar thanked the people of Maharashtra and party workers for his party’s success. Criticising party leaders who defected to the BJP, he said, “One important thing to see is that people who left us, have not been accepted. Defections have not worked in favour of those who left.”

He also said, “We will soon hold a meeting to discuss certain things about the elections, with our supporters and decide our future course of action. We have tried to perform to the best of our abilities.”

1:20 pm: BJP-Shiv Sena Will Return To Power In Maharashtra, But Who Will Be CM?

According to official Election Commission numbers, the Shiv Sena is leading in 62 seats in Maharashtra. While the BJP had aimed to cross the half-way mark in the 288-seat assembly, it looks like it will need Shiv Sena’s help to form government.

And now the Shiv Sena has said that 50-50 formula in the state. “I am going to meet Uddhav Ji. Numbers aren’t that bad. Yes, we will definitely continue with the alliance. We have agreed upon a 50-50 formula,” Shiv Sena’s Sanjay Raut told ANI.

It is also likely that the Shiv Sena would arm twist the BJP into giving it the chief minister position, if that works out, Aaditya Thackeray could become the youngest chief minister of the state.

12:45 pm: Why Sharad Pawar Is Responsible For The Dip In BJP Numbers

With the NCP surging ahead of the Congress, it is likely Sharad Pawar is likely to lead the Opposition charge in Maharashtra.

Pawar was the only leader of the opposition who had relentlessly campaigned in Maharashtra before the elections.

Huffpost India’s Pavan Dahat reports that latest trends suggest the BJP is leading in 103 seats, Shiv Sena in 61, NCP in 52 and Congress in 41 seats. Both the MNS and Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi are leading in one seat each.

11:31 am: Cong, BJP In Close Contest In Haryana, JJP Could Be Kingmaker

The Congress and the BJP are in a neck-and-neck battle in Haryana with 30 and 38 seats respectively. Early trends show that Jannayak Janta Party could play an important in forming government in Harayana. The JJP is leading in 11 seats.

Meanwhile, NDTV reported that the Congress has already reached out to the JJP, which is led by Dushyant Chautala, in a bid to form an alliance.

11:10 am NCP’s Rohit Pawar Trails In Maharashtra’s Karjat Jamkhed

NCP candidate Rohit Pawar, who is pitted against incumbent BJP MLA Ram Shinde, is leading by over 7,000 votes inKarjat Jamkhed, in Maharashtra.

Karjat Jamkhed is a BJP stronghold and the party has won from here for the past 25 years.

In both Maharashtra and Haryana the BJP has more leads than the Congress, but if early leads are anything to go by, then BJP’s dreams of absolute majority may not be fulfilled today.

According to official Election Commission numbers, in Maharashtra the BJP is leading in 99 seats and the Congress in 40. The NCP is leading in 48 seats and Shiv Sena in 60 seats.

Meanwhile in Haryana, the BJP is leading in 38 seats and the Congress in 27 seats. The Jannayak Janata Party is leading in 11.

10:17 pm: No Landslide For BJP In Maharashtra?

While the BJP and exit polls had predicted a landslide win for the party in Maharashtra, early trends show otherwise.

Looks like the BJP is not going to cross the half-way mark on its own.

And all praise is going to NCP chief Sharad Pawar. He was the only Opposition leader who relentlessly campaigned against the Shiv Sena and the BJP.

#Sharad Pawar single handley stops #BJP jaggornout in Maharashtra, Fadnavis government will be dependent on Shiv Sena support now while NCP emerges as a strong opposition trouncing Congress @HuffPostIndia

Official figures are in. According to the Election Commission, in Maharashtra BJP is in 10 constituencies, Shiv Sena leading in 5 constituencies, Congress leading in 3 constituencies and NCP leading in 2 constituencies.

#UPDATE As per official trends from Election Commission, BJP leading in 10 constituencies, Shiv Sena leading in 5 constituencies, Congress leading in 3 constituencies and NCP leading in 2 constituencies https://t.co/nfQRFoB10q

PTI reported that counting of votes will be held on Thursday for 51 assembly seats and two Lok Sabha constituencies spread across 18 states where by-elections were held two days ago.

7:25 am People Will Bless Their Daughter, Says BJP’s Babita Phogat In Haryana

Wrestler Babita Phogat, who contested from the Dadri constituency in Haryana was full of hope on the morning of counting day.

Speaking to ANI she said:

Wrestler Babita Phogat, BJP's candidate for Dadri assembly constituency: People have given me love and support, that is my strength, & what keeps me going. I have faith in public and myself, people will give blessings to their daughter. #HaryanaAssemblyPollspic.twitter.com/y3DMGvJGbD

In Maharashtra, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is likely to make an easy win for the lack of a strong Opposition in the state. The India Today-Axis My India exit polls projected that the BJP and Shiv Sena combine is likely to win 166-194 seats, while the Congress and NCP will win 70-90 seats. NDTV’s poll of polls predicted that the BJP and Shiv Sena will win 211 seats and the Congress and NCP will win 64 seats and others 13 seats.

None of the exit polls gave even one seat to the Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena.

The campaign in Maharashtra, where BJP wrested power from the Congress right after Modi’s landslide win in 2014, has been mired in controversies. While Raj Thackeray was leading a massive campaign against Modi a few months ahead of the elections but fell out of the limelight after he was grilled by the Enforcement Directorate for 9 hours. When he broke his silence, Raj Thackeray said at a rally, “I don’t know about the world but probably no political party in India has ever asked to be voted in the opposition. I have come to you today with an agenda and that agenda is to provide a credible opposition party to Maharashtra.” Opposition leader Sharad Pawar too was questioned by the ED.

And as Huffpost India’s Pavan Dahat had written in a profile of Fadnavis, the chief minister who was almost a nobody when he was made CM in 2014, quickly and ruthlessly succeeded in weeding out rivals within and outside his party to reach an almost unbeatable position in Maharashtra politics.

BJP’s confidence was clearly visible on polling day when one of the party’s national leaders Nitin Gadkari said, “The BJP-Sena will have a record-breaking victory and Fadnavis will be the chief minister again.”

However, Congress and NCP too refused to secede. NCP MP Supriya Sule “The Congress-NCP alliance will form the next government.”

Key candidates to look out for in the state are Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Aaditya Thackeray, who is the first from his famous family to contest an election.

In Haryana, the BJP, which won 48 seats in 201, is looking to win 75 seats out of the total 90 this time. And if exit polls are anything to go by, they are not too far from the target. Times Now predicted that the BJP will win 71 seats, the Congress 11 and others 3. NDTV’s poll of polls showed the BJP winning 66 seats and the Congress 14 seats. However, perhaps the only hope for the Opposition in the state is the India Today-Axis My India exit polls that predicted a hung parliament in the state. The poll predicted the BJP winning 32-44 seats and the Congress winning 30-42 seats.

Key candidates to watch out for include Manohar Lal Khattar from Rohtak and Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala from Kaithal.

Despite both AAP and BSP contesting these elections, it is unlikely they will be able to dent the BJP voter base in the state.